Queers & Lefties Should Unite for Obama!

Mark Snyder

Founder, QueerToday.com

A letter to my queer and socialist/other lefty friends:

Unfortunately we live in a capitalist society where votes are regularly stolen and the interests of corporations are held above the needs of the people…where we can’t rank our candidates when we vote, where war is glorified, where boys are discouraged from expressing themselves through tears or art, and women make less than men for the same or better work…where queer people are murdered and denied housing, where immigrants are called “illegal” and deported…

Barack Obama will not be able to solve those problems.

He is not completely anti-war. He is not anti-capitalist. He doesn’t have a specific plan to curb queer suicide and violence. He offers hopeful oratories but his policies are not the vision most of us have for the world. And he is only one person.

So why should the left unite for him? Because the left must, for the first time in decades, defeat the radical right that has taken our country to the brink of destruction.

The movement behind the Obama campaign is an important ingredient in the recipe to defeat the right-wing. The campaign has inspired people from all age groups, races, and economic and political backgrounds to get involved. Obama’s campaign, at least rhetorically, has put the needs of the people above the interests of the corporations.  It changed the discussion and, to some degree, it has awoken people. That is evident in the campaign’s record breaking new voter registration successes and their record crowd turnout for rallies.

When the race for the presidency began Hillary Clinton had the opportunity to offer the country an uplifting grassroots campaign. Instead she launched ads that capitalized on people’s fears – ads that featured Osama Bin Laden and scary 3AM phone calls. She ran a campaign you would expect from Karl Rove. And so it is now Obama’s campaign that has broken records in taking donations from small individual donors, won more states, and more pledged delegates. The only record the Clinton campaign broke, as far as I know, is for taking the most money from Pharmaceutical companies.

Let’s not forget Hillary voted to authorize the war at a time when many of us queer activists were protesting on the streets urging her to reconsider. Hillary voted to authorize the use of cluster bombs when Obama voted against it. And recently Hillary said she would “obliterate” Iran if they attacked Israel. Scary stuff.  Now she and John McCain are proposing a gas tax cut over the summer that every economic expert has denounced. She even used the words “your either with us or against us.”   Where have we heard that before?

Many gay leaders and gay media have been supportive of Clinton. But it is Barack who wishes to repeal ALL of DOMA, not Hillary. It was Barack who co-sponsored legislation to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity and expression. And it is Barack who repeatedly mentions the gay community in his stump speeches from black churches in the south to mills in rural Pennsylvania. He never shies away. In fact, the night Hillary won Pennsylvania Barrack gave a shout out to the gay community knowing his speech would be heard around the world.  You’ll have trouble trying to find a time when Hillary says the G word to an audience other than LOGO.

For some reason Obama is the only candidate who is constantly asked about the people around him. His outspoken preacher, people he spoke with, people he served on boards with… You see, if we are to play the game of guilt by association we would have to constantly ask Hillary why she is involved in a secret congressional prayer group (The Leadership Circle) with right-wingers like Rick Santorum, about her pending lawsuit over fundraising scandals, or why she was President of the College Republicans.  Questions should be asked, but that game can be played to death on either candidate, and will only bring the left down. We need to hold the media responsible for focusing on Wright instead of the Right.

This fall we need to unite behind whoever the democratic nominee is, not because we are proud democrats, but because we must defeat the right.  But for now, if you believe in social justice I urge you to support Barack Obama.  

Please share widely!

0

0